National Guard & Reserves (USA Jobs)

National Guard & Reserves

If you’re a member of the National Guard, or are willing and able to join the National Guard, you may be eligible to apply for federal jobs located within a National Guard unit.

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National Guard & Reserves

Eligibility

Jobs within a National Guard unit are in the excepted service, so it’s important to read the Who May Apply section of the job announcement to understand if you’re eligible or what you need to do to be eligible. Some jobs:

Require you to already be a National Guard member in a specific state.

Require you to already be a National Guard member, but willing to transfer to a specific state.

Are open to anyone, but you must join the National Guard to accept the job.

Require you to wear a National Guard uniform.

The Who May Apply section may say:

Restricted to CURRENT members of the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Reserves or Active Duty Military – Only a current member of one of these groups is eligible for this job.

United States Citizens – Anyone is eligible, but you have to join the National Guard to accept the job.

AREA 1 – Open to current, permanent technicians of the Michigan National Guard. (Does not include temporary technicians).

AREA 2 – Open to current military members of the Michigan National Guard – You must already be a member of the Michigan National Guard to be eligible. Preference is given to current technicians, because the job is specific to that skill set.

Current Warrant officer (CW3 & below) or Enlisted (E6 or above) members of the ND Army or Air National Guard – You must have a specific rank within the North Dakota National Guard to be eligible for this job.

US Citizens and Federal Employees with status – Anyone or federal employees with status are eligible, but you have to join the National Guard.

How do I know a job is open to National Guard & Reserves?

In the job announcement look for the This job is open to section. When a job is open to National Guard & Reserves, or those willing to join, you’ll see this icon: There may be other groups listed that can also apply.

In search you can also select the National Guard filter. Your results will display all jobs open to the National Guard, reserves, and those willing to join.

Documents you may need

The National Guard for each state requires different forms. You will likely need to complete forms to demonstrate prior military or federal service if appropriate. Standard forms that you may need to complete are listed below.

DD-369

Police records check form

SF-144

Statement of prior federal service

Upload and submit through USAJOBS

You can upload and save documents to your USAJOBS account. Once uploaded, you can submit these forms with your job application as needed. Sign into USAJOBS or learn how to upload documents.

How to join the National Guard

First, make sure you’re qualified to join the National Guard. Whether you’ve served in the military before, or you’ve never served, you must meet the mandatory requirements to join the National Guard.

Additional requirements

In addition to the above mandatory requirements, you must also:

Attend basic training – If you served in the United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard and have not completed Army or Marine Corps Basic Training you must attend Basic Combat Training (BCT). There are some exceptions to this requirement.

Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) – If you have a break in service of over 10 years, you must re-take the ASVAB to establish current scores.